Sara Damewood, MD, was honored with a 2021 Impact Award from the Group on Women and Medicine in Science for her ongoing and substantial impact in program development, education, clinical care and research at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
The award was presented at the Women in Medicine & Science Symposium, held November 1, 2021. The annual symposium featured a keynote speaker, panel discussion, and awards presentation, and served to explore opportunities, obstacles and strategies for success for women in medicine and science.
Since joining the BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine at UW in 2012, Dr. Damewood has established and continued to evolve an exemplary clinical point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) program from the ground up: advocating for state-of-the-art machines, negotiating ultrasound privileges with hospital leadership, and developing quality assurance and provider credentialing processes that have served as templates for succedent POCUS programs at UW Health. She is also a leader among the ultrasound community nationally and has received accolades from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and Society of Clinical Ultrasound Fellowships (SCUF) for her contributions to the field.
Dr. Damewood is a tireless educator and mentor. She oversees an active ultrasound curriculum for learners at all levels, including students, residents, fellows, advanced practice providers, and faculty; and leads an accomplished and innovative team of faculty as Division Director of Emergency Ultrasound. POCUS learners at UW engage in advanced training environments and modalities, including high-fidelity simulation and hands-on workshops. She also created a nationally competitive advanced emergency ultrasound fellowship training program and curriculum at UW and serves as fellowship director.
Dr. Damewood is also committed to shaping the world of clinical ultrasound at the national level and serves as the inaugural chair for the Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship Accreditation Council (EUFAC), a governing body Damewood helped to establish, that designed policies and standards for ultrasound fellowship accreditation across the nation. She is also an integral board member of SCUF, and because of her leadership and significant contributions to the organization, Madison was selected to host its annual national meeting in 2022.
After establishing outstanding clinical and education programs, Dr. Damewood has also expanded the program’s research portfolio, which has contributed to current strategies to optimize resuscitation of patients with sepsis, as well as developing research into the use of point-of-care ultrasound in the prehospital arena.
Dr. Damewood’s dynamic record of excellence in program development, innovative and far-reaching educational contributions and attention to remarkable clinical care can be felt far beyond UW Health and the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, including with her numerous mentees.
The Impact Award reflects the direct impact of Dr. Damewood’s dedicated leadership on the intersection of clinical care and operations, administration, education, and research.